Traction apparatus



2 Sheet-Sheet l B. HILL TRACTION APPARATUS Jun 2, 1953 Filed May 14, 1949 INVENTOR v BENJAMIN HILL ATTORNEY June 2, 1953 Q B. HILL 2,640,480

TRACT-ION APPARATUS Filed May 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

BENJAMtN HILL BY D .TILJ My ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlce TRACTION APPARATUS Benjamin Hill, Frazer, Pa. Application May 14,1949, Serial No. 93,291

2 Claims.

This invention relates to traction apparatus and more particularly to apparatus with which a stretching action may be applied to the human body.

Various devices have heretofore been proposed for the purpose of applying a stretching action to the human body, but none of these has proven wholly satisfactory. For example, it has been proposed to employ a head engaging harness which fastens under the chin for applying tenl:

sion. With apparatus of this character, serious difliculties have been encountered because of injuries to the lower jaw, to the teeth or to dentures upon the application of a tensile force.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide traction apparatus with which a predetermined force may be applied in an improved manner for stretching the human body.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide traction apparatus with which a variable tractive force may be applied in accordance with the desires of the user.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide traction apparatus which is effective on the cervical spine, and especially the joints thereof.

It is a further object'of the present invention to provide traction apparatus with which. the muscles and ligaments having attachments to the cervical spine are held in traction, with relief of any spasticity.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide traction apparatus having improved provisions for engagement with the body of the patient at the extremities thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide, in apparatus of the character aforesaid, an improved clam-p for engagement with the head at the frontal and occipital bones.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide traction apparatus which may be utilized alone or in combination with massage apparatus.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the specification and. claims. r

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a table having mounted thereon traction apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

rag. 21s a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectionalview enlarged, taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view enlarged, taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5' is a view in perspective of a preferred form of head clamp employed in connection with the present invention, parts being broken away to show the details of construction;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of one of the pads employed in connection with the head clamp, parts being broken away to show the details of construction;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 'I! of Fig.6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a view in perspective of a preferred form of block for engagement by the feet of the patient; and

Fig. 10 is a View in perspective of. one of the end hooks employed with the table.

It should, of course, be understood that the,

description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the inventionis illustrated, a table is shown at I5 and has a table top l6, horizontally disposed. While a table I5 with a fixed table top may be I employed, the apparatus in accordance with the present invention is also suitable for use with the massage apparatus shown in my prior Patent No. 2,230,057, dated January 23, 1941. A reciprocable table top I6 is accordingly shown with spaced rollers ll mounted at a fixed location on the table [5 andvertically adjustable as desired, with suitable provisions (not herein shown) for reciprocating the table top I6 for a massaging of selected regions of the body of the patient upon reciprocationof the table top I6 with respect to the rollers l1.

At the head end of the table top 16, a bracket or hook 20, illustrated in detail in Fig. 10, is preferably mounted.

The bracket has a downwardly inclined outwardly extending pin 21 for engagement in an opening 22 in a strap 23, of rubber, leather or other desired material, which is connected at its other end to a spring scale 2'4 for measuringthe amount of tension applied in the strap 23.

The other end of the spring scale 24 is connected by a strap 25 to a head clamp 26 which is shown in detail in Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive.

The head clamp 26 preferably includes a bracket arm 21 having a straight portion 28 and a curved portion 29 and a bracket arm 30, preferably of greater length than that of the arm 21. The arm 30 also includes a straight por-' tion 3! and a curved portion 32. The straight portions 28 and 3! are preferably connected by a spring strip 33 which normally tends to separate the arms 21 and 30.

An adjusting bolt 35 is provided having a manually operable enlarged head portion 96 and a threaded shank 37 in engagement with a complementally threaded opening 38 in the straight portion 3|.

The strap 25 is preferably connected to the curved portion 32 in any desired manner, such as by a closed eye 39.

The bracket arm 21 is preferably provided at its free end with a pad 40 for engagement with the head of the patient at the frontal bones of the skull. The pad 40 preferably includes an inner supporting strip 41 of metal with an enclosing cover 42 preferably of rubber, vulcanized or otherwise secured to the supporting strip 4|. The inner surface of the pad 40 preferably has a face 43 of soft rubber at the locations for engagement with the forehead.

The pad 40 is preferably connected to the bracket arm 29 by a ball and socket joint 44 which permits a limited movement of the pad 40 with respect to the arm 21 to accommodate the pad 40 to the head of the patient. While the pad 40 may have any desired curvature, it has been ascertained that a three and one half inch radius is satisfactory and comfortable for most patients.

The bracket arm 30 is preferably provided at its free end with a pad 45 for engagement with the head of patient at the. occipital bones of the skull. The pad 45 is preferably of the same character as the pad 49 and is secured to the bracket arm 30 in the same manner as employed for securing the pad 40 to the bracket arm 21. The rear pad 45 preferably has a radius of the order of two and one half inches.

At the foot end of the table top 16, a pair of spaced brackets or books 20 are provided for engagement in openings 48 in straps 49 of rubber, leather, or other desired material. The straps 49 are preferably connected at their other ends to closed eyes 50 in a foot block 51. The foot block 51 is preferably molded from rubber or other suitable material and is provided with spaced curved cutouts 52 for engagement by the lower extremities of the patient. When it is desired to employ the traction apparatus in accordance with the present invention the foot block 51 is placed in position at the foot end of the table top l6 and the straps 49 are placed in engagement with the pins 21 of the brackets 20 at the foot end.

The head clamp 26 is placed in position on the head of the patient, with the pad 40 in engagement at the frontal bones of the skull and with the pad 45 in engagement at the occipital bones of the skull. Adjustment of the clamping force may be readily effected by means of the adjusting bolt 35.

The patient then assumes a horizontal position on the table top 16, with the heels projecting over the foot block With the strap 25 connected to the spring scale 24, the strap 23 may then be adjusted with its appropriate opening 22 in engagement with the pin 2| of the bracket at the head end of the table top l6 to apply the desired tension. The force applied may be ascertained by observation of the spring scale 24. In this manner the desired tractive force may be applied on the body and particularly upon the cervical spine and the joints thereof.

The atlanto occipital joint and the atlanto axial joint are most affected because of their being more freely movable than other joints. All the muscles and ligaments which have attachment to the cervical spine are held in traction".

The selected tractive force may be applied for the desired length of time and after an initial application the force may be gradually increased if desired.

In addition, and if the massage apparatus, as shown in my prior Patent No. 2,230,057, is employed, selected regions of the body may be massaged by oscillation of the table top 16 during the application of the tractive force. By adjustment of the height of the rollers 17 the desired manipulation of transverse processes of the vertebrae may be effected.

I claim:

1. In traction apparatus, the combination comprising a base, a body supporting member reciprocable with respect to said base, members at one end of said supporting member for engagement by the lower extremities of the body, a head engaging member at the other end of said supporting member having portions for engagement with the head at a plurality of locations, members for adjusting the tension applied to said head engaging member, and body contacting members extending through said body supporting member for engagement longitudinally with portions of the body upon reciprocation of said supporting member.

2. In traction apparatus, the combination comprising a base, a body supporting member reciprocable with respect to said base, members at one end of said supporting member for engagement by the lower extremities of the body, a head engaging member at the other end of said supporting member having portions for engagement with the head at a plurality of locations, members for adjusting the tension applied to said head engaging member, and body contacting members on said base and extending through said body supporting member for engagement longitudinally with portions of the body upon reciprocation of said supporting member.

BENJAMIN HILL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 761,504 Kleinbach May 31, 1904 762,832 Minges June 14, 1904 764,687 Schultz July 12, 1904 923,862 Langworthy June 8, 1909 1,915,341 Warner June 27, 1933 2,088,747 Kelley Aug. 3, 1937 2,166,229 Anderson July 18, 1939 2,230,057 Hill Jan. 28, 1941 2,243,013 Morey et al. May 20, 1941 2,266,628 Finochietto Dec. 16, 1941 2,377,940 Hughes June 12, 1945 OTHER REFERENCES Page 33 of Sprague Method of Applying Superheated Air, published by the Sprague Institute, 141 West 36th Street, New York: received in Patent Office December 8, 1916. (Copy in Div. 55.) 

